Leo Rainer

Leo Rainer

Technology Researcher III
(510) 495-2761
eta.lbl.gov/people/Leo-Rainer
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Bio

Leo Rainer is an engineer in the Building Technology and Urban Systems Division of the Energy Technologies Area at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He has more than 30 years of experience in building energy efficiency including work on building simulation, monitoring, miscellaneous energy use, and building codes and standards. Mr. Rainer is currently responsible for the development and maintenance of the Home Energy Saver website. Mr. Rainer earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at Davis in 1981.

Curriculum Vitae

leo_rainer_cv_2017.pdf

Awards

HUD MBEST Tool Development -  May 25th 2023

A team of BTUS researchers created the Multifamily Building Efficiency Screening Tool (MBEST) for HUD's Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP) [https://www.hud.gov/grrp/leadingedge]. The GRRP covers grants and loans of almost $5 billion of investment in multifamily housing. The tool will be used to screen multifamily buildings and understand current opportunities for energy efficiency improvements.  The tool allows building managers and owners to enter information about lighting, HVAC heating/cooling systems, domestic hot water systems, and the building envelope to come up with a building score that allows HUD to make decisions about investing in building upgrades. The key reason for this SPOT nomination is that the LBNL team worked under considerable time pressure to create the tool in just a few weeks to meet HUDs deadline for launching the program and utilized their expertise and knowledge over a broad range of multifamily building performance to make the tool both comprehensive and easy to use. 

2013 Director's Awards for Exceptional Achievement: Societal Impact -  May 29th 2013

Solving important challenges for society, research that furthers solutions to large social problems, or scientific breakthroughs that have improved the world.

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Publications

2022

The Costs of Home Decarbonization in the US

Authors: Walker, Iain S.; Brennan Less; Nuria Casquero-Modrego, and Leo I. Rainer.
06/2022

2021

The Cost of Decarbonization and Energy Upgrade Retrofits for US Homes

Authors: Less, Brennan; Iain S. Walker; Nuria Casquero-Modrego, and Leo I. Rainer.

2019

A Plug-Loads Game Changer: Computer Gaming Energy Efficiency without Performance Compromise

Authors: Mills, Evan; Norman Bourassa; Leo I. Rainer; Jimmy Mai; Ian Vaino; Claire Curtin; Arman Shehabi; Louis-Benoit Desroches, and Nathaniel Mills.
04/2019

Sealed and Insulated Attic Hygrothermal Performance in New California Homes Using Vapor and Air Permeable Insulation—Field Study and Simulations

Authors: Less, Brennan; Iain S. Walker; Jonathan L. Slack; Leo I. Rainer, and Ronnen M. Levinson.
04/2019

What can connected thermostats tell us about American heating and cooling habits?

Authors: Meier, Alan K.; Leo I. Rainer; Abigail A. Daken; Tsuyoshi Ueno; Marco Pritoni, and Dan Baldewicz.

Efficient and Zero Net Energy-Ready Plug Loads

Authors: Meier, Alan K.; Richard E. Brown; Daniel L. Gerber; Aditya Khandekar; Margarita Kloss; Hidemitsu Koyanagi; Richard Liou; Leo I. Rainer, and Seth Sanders.

2018

Builder Installed Electrical Loads: The Energy Mortgage on a New House

Authors: Rainer, Leo I.; Aditya Khandekar, and Alan K. Meier.

2017

An Energy-focused Profile of the Video Gaming Marketplace

Authors: Mills, Evan; Norman Bourassa; Leo I. Rainer; Jimmy Mai; Louis-Benoit Desroches; Arman Shehabi; Ted Pollak, and Nathaniel Mills.
06/2017

2014

Asset Rating with the Home Energy Scoring Tool

Authors: Mills, Evan; Norman Bourassa; Leo I. Rainer; Gregory K. Homan; Noel Market; Danny S. Parker; Glenn Dickey, and Joan Glickman.
09/2014

2012

The Home Energy Scoring Tool: A Simplified Asset Rating for Single Family Homes

Authors: Bourassa, Norman; Leo I. Rainer; Evan Mills, and Joan Glickman.
05/2012

Accuracy of the Home Energy Saver Energy Calculation Methodology

Authors: Parker, Danny S.; Evan Mills; Leo I. Rainer; Norman Bourassa, and Gregory K. Homan.

2005

Monitoring the energy-use effects of cool roofs on California commercial buildings

Authors: Akbari, Hashem; Ronnen M. Levinson, and Leo I. Rainer.
10/2005

2004

Designing Building Systems to Save Energy and Improve Indoor Environments: A Practical Demonstration

Authors: Apte, Michael G.; Alfred T. Hodgson; Derek G. Shendell; Leo I. Rainer, and Marc A. Hoeschele.

Energy savings estimates and cost benefit calculations for high performance relocatable classrooms

Authors: Rainer, Leo I.; Marc A. Hoeschele; Michael G. Apte; Derek G. Shendell, and William J. Fisk.

2003

Simultaneous Energy Savings and IEQ Improvements in Relocatable Classrooms

Authors: Apte, Michael G.; Dennis L. DiBartolomeo; Toshifumi Hotchi; Alfred T. Hodgson; Seung-Min Lee; Shawna M. Liff; Leo I. Rainer; Derek G. Shendell; Douglas P. Sullivan, and William J. Fisk.
06/2003

Simultaneous Improvements in Relocatable Classrooms

Authors: Apte, Michael G.; Alfred T. Hodgson; Derek G. Shendell; Dennis L. DiBartolomeo; Toshifumi Hotchi; Seung-Min Lee; Shawna M. Liff; Leo I. Rainer; Douglas P. Sullivan, and William J. Fisk.

2002

Energy and Indoor Environmental Quality in Relocatable Classrooms

Authors: Apte, Michael G.; Alfred T. Hodgson; Derek G. Shendell; Dennis L. DiBartolomeo; Toshifumi Hotchi; Satish Kumar; Seung-Min Lee; Shawna M. Liff; Leo I. Rainer; Richard C. Schmidt; Douglas P. Sullivan; Richard C. Diamond, and William J. Fisk.

Final methodology for a field study of indoor environmental quality and energy efficiency in new relocatable classrooms in Northern California

Authors: Shendell, Derek G.; Dennis L. DiBartolomeo; William J. Fisk; Alfred T. Hodgson; Toshifumi Hotchi; Seung-Min Lee; Douglas P. Sullivan; Michael G. Apte, and Leo I. Rainer.

2001

Linking Energy Efficiency and Indoor Environmental Quality to Provide Thermal Comfort and Reduce Children's Exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds: Demonstration Project in New Relocatable Classrooms at Northern California Public Schools

Authors: Shendell, Derek G.; Michael G. Apte; Dennis L. DiBartolomeo; William J. Fisk; Alfred T. Hodgson; Satish Kumar; Douglas P. Sullivan, and Leo I. Rainer.
11/2001

2000

Measured energy savings from the application of reflective roofs in 3 AT&T regeneration buildings

Authors: Akbari, Hashem, and Leo I. Rainer.
11/2000

1998

Demonstration of energy savings of cool roofs

Authors: Konopacki, Steven J.; Lisa M. Gartland; Hashem Akbari, and Leo I. Rainer.
06/1998

1996

You Won't Find These Leaks with a Blower Door: The Latest in "Leaking Electricity" in Homes

Authors: Rainer, Leo I.; Steve E. Greenberg, and Alan K. Meier.

1994

A New Approach to Estimate Commercial Sector End-Use Load Shapes and Energy Use Intensities

Authors: Akbari, Hashem; Joseph H Eto; Steven J. Konopacki; Asim Afzal; Kristin E. Heinemeier, and Leo I. Rainer.
08/1994

1993

Integrated Estimation of Commerical Sector End-Use Load Shapes and Energy Use Intensities in the PG&E Service Area

Authors: Akbari, Hashem; Joseph H Eto; Steven J. Konopacki; Asim Afzal; Kristin E. Heinemeier, and Leo I. Rainer.
12/1993

1992

Measured impact of neighborhood tree cover on microclimate

Authors: Sailor, David J.; Leo I. Rainer, and Hashem Akbari.
08/1992

Affordable Housing Rehabilitation in Vermont: Energy Savings, Cost-Effectiveness, and Resident Satisfaction

Authors: Diamond, Richard C.; Joseph A. McAllister; Leo I. Rainer; Ronald L. Ritschard, and Helmut E. Feustel.
01/1992

1991

Multifamily Energy Audit for HUD-Insured Multifamily Properties

Authors: Diamond, Richard C.; Joseph A. McAllister, and Leo I. Rainer.
11/1991

Integrated Estimation of Commercial Sector End-Use Load Shapes and Energy Use Intensities, Phase II

Authors: Akbari, Hashem; Leo I. Rainer, and Joseph H Eto.
01/1991

1990

A Review of Existing Commercial Energy Use Intensity and Load Shape Studies

Authors: Akbari, Hashem; Isaac Turiel; Joseph H Eto; Kristin E. Heinemeier; Benoit Lebot, and Leo I. Rainer.
08/1990

1989

Integrated Estimation of Commercial Sector End‑Use Load Shapes and Energy Use Intensities, Final Report

Authors: Akbari, Hashem; Joseph H Eto; Isaac Turiel; Kristin E. Heinemeier; Benoit Lebot; Bruce Nordman, and Leo I. Rainer.
01/1989